Welsh politicians have been told that the Golden Hour cannot be the privilege of those who live in urban areas as they debated a petition calling for the retention of air ambulance bases in Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool.

A debate was held in the Senedd on Wednesday on a petition calling on the Welsh Government to intervene and halt the planned closure of the two air ambulance bases in 2026.

James Evans MS said: “Powys has become a health desert. We have a county with no district general hospital, no A&E department, minor injury units are operating with limited hours, and ambulances are consistently dragged out of our communities to cover shortages elsewhere in Wales. As a direct result, people I know in my constituency, and across mid Wales, have lost their lives.”

He added: “That golden hour—the one we all talk about—cannot be a privilege just for those people who live in urban areas.

“It must be a right for everybody, right the way across Wales, no matter where they live.

“People pay their taxes, they give to these charities; they give their money, because they want a service, and we deserve to have that service in rural Wales.”

Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, highlighted that tens of thousands of people have signed petitions opposing the plan approved by the NHS Joint Commissioning Committee - a committee within the Welsh NHS, and also pointed out that both Powys and Betsi Cadwaladr health boards, did not support the decision.

He added: “When someone in Wales faces a medical emergency, it is only natural to wonder who will come to their aid and what services will be available upon arrival. This concern is even more relevant in rural parts of Wales, because of the time it takes for emergency services to travel to many communities, this is exactly why the Air Ambulance Service is so valued.”

Politicians also raised questions over promises made that rapid response vehicles would be placed in mid and north Wales to mitigate the loss of the air ambulance bases.

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said: “The decision to remove the Air Ambulance from the Caernarfon and Welshpool bases is short-sighted and will leave vast rural areas exposed to slower emergency response times. Lives depend on timely intervention.

“If the Welsh Government and Air Ambulance insist on pressing ahead with this unpopular plan, then at the very least, Rapid Response Vehicles must be stationed in Caernarfon and Welshpool to mitigate the damage.”

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “I understand people's concerns who live near the current centres that this will mean a reduction in service levels. But the aim is to improve everyone's access to care that saves lives.

Quite simply, the current service cannot reach enough people who need support, and the way that the service is organised is responsible for this.”

Russell George has now written to the petitions committee asking them to set out what steps they intend to take to hold the Welsh Government and NHS Wales to account, on commitments made that no bases would close, until the Rapid Responses vehicles were in place and operational.